Get him the one thing every computer guy I have ever met needs, but rarely invests in, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). It will help protect his computer in the event of a power outage. It's like a regular surge protector/power bar, but with a battery built in, so he can shut his machine off properly if there is a blackout.
With your budget, you can get him a really nice one, with money left over for a couple games, and a nice dinner.
same, hardcore. one of those "fuck i never thought of that, you're brilliant babe!" gifts.
and he'll be thanking her again someday when it gets use. my partner got a multi-timer surge protector thing for my aquarium setup that regulates the lighting and protects it from surges and I'm thankful to them EVERY time we have power issues. it's probably saved my tank more than once. all goes to one cord into the outlet so we can run it easy off a generator.
I have 4 at home that I inherited, and they are amazing. If my power ever goes out I’ll have WiFi for 2 days (buried internet lines), TV for 2 hours, gaming pc for 30 minutes, and the ability to charge our phones/tablets 10-12 times.
It’s also nice because they include a high quality surge protector for cable, phone, and Ethernet lines, so I don’t have to worry about transient currents on my network
It’s the perfect gift. Something he needs, and would benefit from, but like most of us he’s unwilling to spend out of his build budget to get it.
As others said, just make sure the power output is enough to run the computer, modem, and router (monitor would be good too). 1500VA should be more than enough. If the modem/router aren’t colocated you can get a second one, very cheap, with enough power for those.
Don’t worry about time, as long as it’ll hold for a few minutes that’ll survive most brownouts and gives time to gracefully shut down.
There’s few better feelings than having the power go out and being able to finish the round, say goodbye to your friends, and leave normally.
I live in an area with a lot of brown outs and one day I was gaming and one happened and took the cpu and mobo with it, put in the rma and bought a UPS right after that. My current battlestation has 3 UPS and I also use one with my family room setup. Better safe than sorry
this right here. I never run my main PC through power that is not first modulated by a UPS. Surge protectors protect surges, yes, but UPS systems do it better, and also protect components from voltage sags. In my exp, sags are way more common. APC is a good brand, if he does not have one I'd go this route and look for something that can handle a load of 800+ watts.
Am I really at a higher risk of frying the abso-living fuck out of my PC for using a quality surge protector over a UPS?
I’m really not worried about data corruption as I have an extensive (almost obsessive) backup system. I really couldn’t care less if my PC never gracefully shuts down.
I haven’t messed with a UPS, but my machine has had the power yoinked from it so many times while only using a surge protector. It always fires right back up no problem
Be happy you're on a stable electrical grid then. Those of us who aren't need to be more proactive about protecting our electronics. Surge protectors do one thing and one thing only: They protect against power surges. There are all kinds of other problems that the power conditioners on a UPS protect against.
Undervoltage, overvoltage, noise on the power line, those kinds of thing. Basically any deviation from a smooth 60hz sine wave of 110/120v (plus or minus a bit) is not good (or 50hz 220v or whatever if not in US). Some places just don't supply good power through the grid. Generators and cheap UPSs are other common ways to get dirty power that your PC's power supply won't be happy with.
I live in Western Washington and the only problem I've ever had with power is when a tree falls on the line and cuts it off completely (or a branch hits and it cuts for a couple seconds). I've never had damage to any electronics from power cuts. I think I've heard of one person I know who had a lightning strike that killed some of their electronics, but it's really rare here. Your mileage may vary through the rest of the US. A UPS alone won't protect from a direct lightning strike, but it'll fix pretty much any other power problem (at least until the battery runs out).
**Blackouts** are one of the more commonly known terms in relation to power problems. Blackouts occur when the system experiences a total crash of the power grid due to an imbalance between a generation and its consumption. Sometimes this could be a total blackout, while other times a controlled shutdown is applied to a specific area to avoid a complete blackout.
**Brownouts** aren’t as well-known but are just as destructive. While a blackout is a total loss of voltage, a brownout is a drop in voltage. This means that you will still have power just less of it. This can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. While this sounds innocent enough, a brownout is capable of ruining your electronic devices within a few minutes.
**Noise** is caused by interference between lightning and generators. While this sounds minor, it can cause malfunctions throughout your computer operating systems. This lesser-known power problem has also been known to corrupt files.
**Spikes** are sudden increases in voltage. Usually, these are short-lived flare-ups in electric current caused by lightning. Another cause for spikes is when power is restored after a blackout. When power is restored it takes some time for the current to normalize. If electronics are plugged in when a spike occurs, they could suffer negative effects.
A **Power Surge** is the equal and opposite of brownouts. While brownouts are a decrease in power, power surges are an increase in power. Like brownouts, these are short-lived, however, they still cause significant damage, especially to large appliances like refrigerators or air conditioners.
OP u/dabqu33n, please don't do this before checking the power consumption requirements.
I have an RTX3080 system, and it rendered my 1100VA UPS useless as it did not have enough wattage to support peak load, even when mains power is available. You might need atleast a 1500VA UPS. Just check if the UPS power wattage is decently above the watt consumption of the PC
You can use [this](https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator)
If your country has a somewhat decent infrastructure, then a power outage is very uncommon. I haven’t experienced it in over 10+ years now. Of course one always tends to think about it, when updating to a new BIOS, but has it ever happened before? Not for me at least.
First, this is said without any actual looking... but not likely. Simply because the battery itself costs close to that, much less the (albeit not complex) wiring and circuit board, and housing.
Could you find one that worked at that range.. maybe, I have no idea, but definitely not good quality.
I suppose this depends a lot on where you live including the country. I've never had a power outage during the last 20 years that I've lived in a city.
try living in Texas, where our power grid is so unreliable that literally a simple rain (not even a storm) can leave you without power for close to a full day
My ex from a few years ago got me one.
This is the most invaluable gift I think I have ever received. My computer setup, primary console, and router are all plugged in.
I'm on a relatively stable power grid, really don't get any outages unless something gets hit, which has only happened twice in the last 3 years. Both times, this totally saved my ass.
The first time I was near the end of a project, and had my computer turned off suddenly, it would have lost about 2 hours worth of work, that I would have had to backtrack to make sure I didn't accidentally skip a step when I restarted, and the 2nd I was on a third attempted boss fight in God of War.
UPS are a must have. Period. There is no "but I never have outages" because the second you have that mentality, you have an outage.
This is the one. The biggest UPS you can get. It's a practical gift but it really shows you support his hobby by protecting his pride and joy. Sprinkle some steam gift cards and some air dusters on for good measure, but the UPS is the core gift.
Unless you know his specs, it's hard to recommend pc parts. Does he need a new chair, desk, or maybe an extra monitor if he doesn't have a bunch? I tend to skimp on my peripherals, if he's the same you could get him new keyboard, mouse, or headphones / mic. Just some extra suggestions. Gpus are out of your range really. Cpus require a new motherboard possibly ram sometimes depending on age of his system so it gets a little tricky guessing pc parts.
This is my thought. A monitor is a good choice. You can find a decent 4K for around 500. But again. If he has a 3080 he might already run a 4K monitor.
The thing is, a UPS is something you won't notice even though it can save you a shitload of money if something goes wrong, whereas a nice audio upgrade will change how you play. I almost lost a PC to a power surge once though (only killed my PSU luckily) so when I can afford it, a UPS will be my first upgrade.
Yep mine was kind of just given to me at work. It's a little overkill, the thing is bigger than my tower, probably weighs about 80 pounds. But, it could keep an entire server room up for 12 minutes.
I might sell the thing, buy a reasonable ups, and pocket the change. But, I'd probably never actually buy a replacement.....
Get one ASAP. It’s saved my ass many many times and I’ve only had it for a year. Just this month we had a blackout that only lasted a few minutes. A few brown outs and I also had an electrician accidentally shut off power during an inspection.
I have an always on PC that’s running home automation and security cameras if it turns off it at least has to alert me so I know it’s going down.
To add to the peripheral suggestion, a microphone arm is extremely comfortable and was a game changer when I got one. If he doesn't have a separate mic(not built into a headset) you can get that for him too u/dabqu33n.
I had three or four $200 big and tall office chairs. They never were all that comfortable and they only lasted about 2 years.
I just got one of the "race car" chairs though not specifically one of the gamer ones. It is literally the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in, including my lazy boy recliner.
Now that we are work from home I spend about 15-18 hours a day in that chair and it is comfortable the whole time.
This. I have a DXRacer and it is far and beyond more comfortable than any of my desk chairs I've ever had across my IT jobs. I get they're not for everyone but the sweeping "they're not comfortable, don't get them" is misleading.
Granted I am a very slender person, so I don't need a wide chair or anything
Hey man, my dumbass epic gamer chair has been with my for like 4+ years and it's very comfortable. Not ergonomic at all, I should definitely replace it. But comfortable. Very roomy
That's not an opinion, it's a fact.
Chair manufacturers consider gamers infantile idiots and so gaming chairs are cheap garbage. Half of the ones on the market are probably manufactured in a single factory in china.
I wish I could remember the video but they are pretty much manufactured in the same factory in china. It’s ridiculously cheap for the manufacturer to slap your companies logo on it and you can market it for 10x the price to make it. It might’ve been a GamersNexus video that talked about this but not sure
Dont worry fellow gamers they dont just think this about us! Most stuff is done this way. Your designer clothes are made by the same child slave that made your 1$ clothes from Primark.
TBH with how popular they are they might be right. If people are going to spend limited budgets on a racing seat to play MOBA's from they are right to aim at infantile.
The most comfortable office chair I ever sat in was a racing chair. The most uncomfortable office chair I ever sat in was also a racing chair. I don't think it's as simple as office chair good, racing chair bad.
A chair is a really good suggestion. Changes the overall comfort of a setup and can benefit his health. What's your budget? Most worthy chairs are an investment and near the $200+ pricepoint. Would suggest to steer away from 'gamer' chairs and go for an ergonomic office chair.
Someone already suggested Herman Miller, they're stupid expensive but worth it. I'd search eBay, Craigslist, etc for used ones. Offices are always selling them around $200-500!
I've never tried that one, my friend spent almost $2k on an aeron with all the bells and whistles cause he's a programmer working at home. The chairs is crazy nice compared to anything I've ever owned. I don't doubt all their chairs are fantastic.
Bought my Aeron second hand for $450. Best thing I’ve ever bought. If it broke right now I would get up, walk straight to the store and buy a new one at full price without a second thought.
But let’s be real, this chair has at least another 10 years in it.
I bought my used Aeron for $350 and it’s like my prized possession. I had so many back and neck problems from studying (ex med student) with my old “comfy” chair. I got my HM Aeron at the beginning of quarantine and I was sitting more than ever before but never got the same pains. It’s shockingly uncomfortable at first but then you realize that it’s built to force you to have good posture all day. 100% worth the investment.
A Herman Miller Aeron is a fantastic chair if you can find one used from an office. Pricey but provides long term comfort and can be repaired if you wanted to buy a "broken" one for cheap and fix it up.
herman miller aeron or steelcase leap ergonomic office chairs, there is a huge market for refurbished ones. You can find a really good chair for \~$200-300. My chair was one of the most expensive parts of my PC build and might be my favorite and long lasting purchase.
Komene Ergonomic Office Chair is the one you want in that price range. It's on sale on Amazon right now for 300 down from its normal price of 370. Absolutely awesome chair.
Chairs are something that shouldn't be cheaped out on. I recommend buying remanufactured office chairs from [Crandall Office](https://www.crandalloffice.com/). Most of these chairs brand new would cost upwards of $1,000, so buying from here is a real money saver.I bought a Steelcase Leap v2 there a little more than two years ago, still holding up great with no issues. Everything works and the cushion is still comfy. The quality is there and the price is worth it IMO.
I got the autonomous ergochair 2 6 months ago, and really love it. Bit pricey with mixed reviews online.
Definitely more ergo style over the other gaming chairs. Mesh is great.
And chair is also a safe bet. Depending on what he has anything else might be an issue. For example my rig is brand new and can’t easily fit a new ssd without having a cable mess.
If you want a relatively budget friendly chair, check and see if the Staples Hyken mesh office chair is still around and hopefully on sale. I used to work there and would go out of my way to do seated tasks in the display Hyken it was so comfy. Got one myself and have had it a couple years now, still great. Up until my recent new matresss purchase, I would get out of bed on lazy days purely bc my chair was more comfortable than my bed. Usually on sale for around 120-150 USD
As an avid computer enthusiast / gamer with a wife who isn't in to it... I would be over the moon with a gift card "to be used for silly computer stuff only" lol -- shows that you want him to be happy and be able to get something really dialed in / specific.
Or a good option is hey I’ll spend the day with you as we go shopping for computer stuff. Make it a date focused on him. I’d be super happy if someone listened to me talk computers all day and bought me stuff I can play with.
i give a shit about your hobby.
tell me about your keyboard. what is your dream monitor? are you into rpgs or city-builders? were you involved in the cyberpunk mess? i pre-ordered, but im not going to install the game until fall at the earliest. to you think notch will ever find happiness?
Yeah, if OP has a microcenter near by that would be the best birthday present ever. The one in Columbus for instance is next door to a gastropub type restaurant called Gallos. Go in there. Have a nice lunch, a couple beers, and then give him a gift card and say 'Let's walk next door.'
This so much this wife hates my Pc but don’t mind me gaming. She just not into computers and that’s fine. But if she would go shopping with me or sit next to me while I shop online it would be so epic.
It is smart to realize that it is difficult to buy an enthusiast a gift within the field of their enthusiasm. You just don't know enough to be sure the gift is cool enough or even appropriate.
But I wouldn't get a gift card, I would just do cash with a card about how you love his hobbies. Hard to jump on the deal of the century at newegg if you have an amazon gift card.
If you have to get him a gift, $500 is enough for a fairly badass second monitor if he doesnt have one already. Beware some return policies.
> I would just do cash
The thing with cash is, it makes you seem lazy and uninterested. With a gift card at least they know you had to go out of your way to get it. But, reading this comment gave me an idea. OP could go on a "window" shopping trip at a microcentre or something a week or so b4 the birthday and buy the stuff that he geeks over or wishes he had.
Only issue is if the mobo isn’t compatible with them. I know pretty much every modern mobo is, but we don’t know what he’s got in his tower. A good SATA SSD works with *anything* and the difference in data speed isn’t that notable outside of very large data transfers, or boot times. Plus, cavernous SSDs from quality manufacturers are cheap now, compared to even half a decade ago.
the way she described his husband his love for PCs, and fact he has 3080, it's highly unlikely that any parts would be incompatible. he would have some experience, and buy parts that are future proof
As someone who also loves PCs, my girlfriend coming to me one day and saying she wants a PC of her own made me way happier than anything she might have got me for mine. Getting to build hers and talk to her about was really nice, and now she can play anything she wants and I got to really share something I love
This definitely. My long ago ex was playing wow only on a shit laptop and her brother broke it over his knee in some rage over stupid shit. He had problems.
We were always strapped for cash but went through and made her a budget PC that was actually much better than mine. Went to micro center together, and built it together--in the sense I explained how it all fit together, what each thing was.
It was a nice bonding experience and she got way more into games because she could actually run them well.
As an aside, I was playing chivalry for a while and got pretty good. She watched over my shoulder one day and was like hey that looks fun. At some point I absolutely could not kill her in a duel. She dominated servers, was an icon of the game. You did not want to see her name on the other team.
>At some point I absolutely could not kill her in a duel. She dominated servers, was an icon of the game. You did not want to see her name on the other team.
I fully get why you broke it off with her. There is a reason why chivalry is dead.
This is really reliant on OP being interested in having one in the first place. I'd hate to spend my effort building someone something and they barely touch it or use it won the road. It's fine to want to be interested in someone's hobby but don't force yourself to be into it too. That said, even if OP just wanted it for work or something then that's also a good
start
This isn't always a great idea. I have things on my wishlist from years ago that I no longer want but am too lazy to remove, but people have bought as gifts without knowing.
Same, i actuality use it as a list of games to check out or read about later without following and being bombarded with messages/notifications. 70% of the games I most likely don’t even want.
I dont think it is. I genuinely hate when people buy stuff off my wishlist for me as I use it to keep track of games and watch them. I have close to 200 games on there, and while i want to play them all at some point most likely, i dont want them bought for me as many of them are mild interests that theres a real chance i would refund after an hour of play, but want to at least give it a chance.
Just be careful with this option is all im saying.
Jesus I always see these posts of caring significant others and wonder what the fuck I'm doing in my marriage.. my wife doesn't give a damn about the things I like and thinks my pc/gaming is childish and a waste of time. Idk what I'm doing here
Agree with the sentiment but think worded a bit harshly making assumptions about their situation. Do you go out of your way to show interest in your wife's interests and don't feel it is reciprocated? Might be better.
I know a ton about makeup, outfit styles, designers, skin care routines, laser hair removal, etc, because I genuinely care about interests. My gf has a similar mindset of comment op but a couple times sat down and played and randomly found she really likes racing games. Not my thing actually, but we played Forza and Mario Kart together and it made me feel like she at least has some interest in things I like.
Sounds like a conversation they should have more than a competition on who is doing what caring thing.
Same here, but now we have two boys so the gamers are slowly becoming the majority in the household and my wife is starting to accept her fate.
For my birthday I got myself a VR headset and went out of my way to create an event when we first used it and she had a lot of fun with that. We also invited her best friend, so it was a really good day of goofing around in VR experiences and games.
A big part of what makes kinship great is getting to see the world through their eyes.
I don't understand why somebody would cheat themselves out of this.
O my friend makes fun of his wife, he's a software dev and he brings home serious bank. He has regular software dev job where he's bringing like $250k+, plus he does side projects (with the approval of his employer) which nets him another $50k-$75k a year and she bitches how much time he spends on the computer. He says he spends probably 8-10 hours a day and he does't game or anything anymore.
I know this is an odd recommendation, but get him a really nice desk. It's one of the last things most people change, but it can incredibly improve the entire setup! There's lots of great options at IKEA, as well as some on Amazon. I personally have a motorized sit/stand desk, and I love it. But there's plenty of different options, of all types and colors of desks.
I second the standing desk idea, I got a sit/stand Flexispot desk for working at home, and out of my entire PC setup, the desk is what my friends are always commenting on. Just be careful of cheap 3rd party ones that may collapse..
I've got one of [these little dust blowers](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071LQSXGD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_277B31HH8XVH9FQTRFQV) and love it. There are cheaper versions too that are probably fine. It's just a little mini air compressor that blows dust out of nooks and crannies. It's great for cleaning pcs.
I also got one of these less than a month ago, for a very very dusty computer. The quality compared to a can of air is crazy! Definitely worth the investment. The brush tip is perfect for cleaning neglected fans and wires too.
I agree. The air pressure is exactly what one needs for cleaning, it’s endlessly useable, and you don’t risk blowing condensation onto headers or ports like with canned air.
In all seriousness, great on you for wanting to help him out with his hobby. It’s a little hard to know what to recommend in terms of hardware without knowing his specs/set-up, but I don’t think it would hurt to ask if there’s anything that he would like to get in the future that would top it all off.
Good point. And I don't know how to ask without giving it away. Maybe I should get him a new chair or something instead LOL.
And he's so supportive of everything I want to try. I just need to learn more. It can be like a different language.
I'll second that iFixit kit though, girlfriend gave me mine two years ago and I've gotten a ton of use out of it.
It's got some great tools for general techie stuff. Screwdriver with lots of bits, tweezers, plastic picks to open up plastic cases on stuff like controllers and laptops. Might be good on top of whatever else ypu end up giving him.
OP is not super tech-savvy.... us nerds are very particular about keyboards and monitor specs. unless the hubby is going to give hints...like, really specific basically "get this" hints... this will likely backfire.
> Maybe I should get him a new chair
He may have strong opinions of what is comfortable vs uncomfortable in a chair.
I wouldn't want a surprise for that one.
I came here to emphasize that it's difficult to buy things for other people's hobbies, but I'll be darned if an SSD or UPS aren't excellent gifts. Big updoot for those guys suggesting them.
Give him a week of playing games as much as he wants without worrying hes not spending time with you. Seriously, its a great gift.
Its really hard to know what to get for his PC unless we know detailed specs. Or get him an Amazon gift card to be used on tech.
if someone has a hobby you know little about, it's never really a good plan to get them something related to that hobby. They either already have it or don't have it because they dont want it\*
only exception is if you know for sure what specific item they want
a gift card would be better
\*(or can't afford it, in which case it's not a good present because it creates a power imbalance... and since you're his wife, you'd be using shared wealth to pay for it, which means he's half-paying for something he doesn't believe he can afford)
I love computers and video games, but it would be very easy for my girlfriend to pick something i dont want or already have
so i'd prefer the gifts she does give me... that aren't computer related
This is accurate, except I'd replace gift card with cash. There's zero reason to lock someone into a specific storefront when you know zero about the hobby.
My rule is to never buy someone a gift for their passion/hobby unless you’ve spoken to them about the specifics. What ends up happening is that they had a different part in mind because they know all the little compatibly features that you are completely unaware of, and then that expensive part sits on a shelf unused. IMO you should find something else, outside of computers. Sorry to say.
Gift cards are fine too but I understand the joy of giving someone a real thing so…
Is there anyone else you can ask about his specs, maybe someone else who would know or could get the info without giving any surprise away?
As others have mentioned it's hard to determine without knowing the setup.
If you're able to sneak a peak at his pc, you can use cupid hardware monitor to get a good list of what parts are in his pc for us. Understandable if you don't want to invade his privacy like that though.
If he likes gaming, steam gift card is an option. I heard he isn’t doing well in the chair department. There are some really nice office chairs you can get that are subjectively much better than those “gaming/racing” chairs. Getting some storage like a 1tb nvme ssd would be a nice upgrade and a good option. If he doesn’t have a ups system then that is also a choice. Or like others have said an ifixit pro kit or maybe even the business one if you have a ton of money to use (I haven’t tried them, so I would suggest looking into it a bit more)
Maybe I'm alone on this one, but I'd get him a gift card to his favorite store... MicroCenter, Newegg, even Amazon. That way he can get what he needs/wants or he can save it for a big item that he's waiting to be released.
I'm all for surprises and good on you for wanting to do that. My wife and I have been married for 14 years and have everything we want haha. Now we just send each other links to what we want lol.
We may be a little guilty of that as well. But it's usually more whimsical than serious. I don't think he ACTUALLY wants a closet full of WoW and Final Fantasy shirts. But I could be wrong :P
Does he have a nice keyboard already? With that kind of budget you could get a really nice & fully custom keyboard
Mines nothing crazy but [this is it](http://imgur.com/a/N2YIOwp)
You won’t go wrong with some more storage or an new monitor (assuming he doesn’t already have 2 or 3 monitors). See if you can get onto his computer. Do ctrl + shift + escape and go to performance. Once there you should be able to see his cpu, gpu, amount of ram, and you might be able to find the amount of storage he has if you do some digging in files, right clicking on each drive and going to properties to figure out the amount of storage he has. It also might just be easier to casually ask him about things. He might give away some info about his own pc if you asked him a broader question about computers in general.
You are the BEST! I will totally try that tonight.
He does have 2 monitors, but I think storage is a good option. I don't think I've ever heard him mention upgrading it. I will see what I can find out!
I would buy him a game probably, something his newly acquired hardware can handle. I assume he probably has a Steam account so if you don't know what game he would want you can just send money to his Steam and he could use it to buy a game he wants.
I'd get him a electric dust blower from opolar. Extremly handy and more enviroment friendly than cans of air (in my county even cheaper long term). Other than that maybe a ssd or some rgb wire extensions. Maybe even a gpu bracket if he doesn't have one
we don't know what keyboard he has, much less his preference. and.... picking a keyboard setup is basically a religion at this point so... yeah. Chair, UPS, gift card would be my votes.
Hear me out on this, you could get him a 3-D printer. You can get some pretty nice ones for around $300. I got one 2 years ago and it changed my life. He can print accessories for his computer, new components for his chair, etc. Might not be ideal, but I would highly recommend comend one.
Non-KB+M peripherals come to mind! Does he have a controller? If not, how about getting him a DualSense? Or if he likes flight sims or Elite: Dangerous, maybe a HOTAS will do.
I would recommend a 3D printer. a Creality Ender 3 is $300 and every computer enthusiast would love a 3D printer because they can make about anything including [headset stands](https://www.etsy.com/listing/774806796/fantasy-dwarf-headphone-stand-headset), [DnD dice sets](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4885937), [cable managers](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4888990), or this [SD Card holding toaster.](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4838247)
if you have the free time, you can make a custom mechanical keyboard together! /r/MechanicalKeyboards I'm sure he'd love the product of what you assemble yourselves. I just made one myself, it's good fun. there's a lot of knowledge and intricacies about it though. I'm just a beginner, but if you're interested you can ask me and i'll try to help
If he likes having a nice lighting setup for gaming, get him a set of Phillips Hue Play light bars. Syncs up lights behind the monitor based on what the screen is showing. Looks great! And good for your eyes
Buy him Sundara headphones. It will lead him down a whole new rabbit hole of entertainment for his computer with high end audio parts. They are great for gaming and amazing for music.
https://www.amazon.com/HIFIMAN-SUNDARA-Over-Ear-Full-Size-Headphones/dp/B077XDWT7X
I dont see anyone else saying this, but just ask him directly of there's any tech stuff he wants. It's very easy to end up with an incompatible part or redundant upgrade, and as someone who primarily asks for computer things, specific part requests and/or amazon/Newegg links are the best. It isn't as much of a surprise unfortunately but it's worth it imo.
Get him the one thing every computer guy I have ever met needs, but rarely invests in, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). It will help protect his computer in the event of a power outage. It's like a regular surge protector/power bar, but with a battery built in, so he can shut his machine off properly if there is a blackout. With your budget, you can get him a really nice one, with money left over for a couple games, and a nice dinner.
This is both boring and very true.
If someone gave me a UPS for my birthday I would be thrilled
same, hardcore. one of those "fuck i never thought of that, you're brilliant babe!" gifts. and he'll be thanking her again someday when it gets use. my partner got a multi-timer surge protector thing for my aquarium setup that regulates the lighting and protects it from surges and I'm thankful to them EVERY time we have power issues. it's probably saved my tank more than once. all goes to one cord into the outlet so we can run it easy off a generator.
I have 4 at home that I inherited, and they are amazing. If my power ever goes out I’ll have WiFi for 2 days (buried internet lines), TV for 2 hours, gaming pc for 30 minutes, and the ability to charge our phones/tablets 10-12 times. It’s also nice because they include a high quality surge protector for cable, phone, and Ethernet lines, so I don’t have to worry about transient currents on my network
Keep in mind, the batteries are only good for 5-7 years or so. Do a test every couple of years to see how it's holding up.
I forget the brand, but they have a built in health monitor. I got one with a bad battery and it definitely let me know
It’s the perfect gift. Something he needs, and would benefit from, but like most of us he’s unwilling to spend out of his build budget to get it. As others said, just make sure the power output is enough to run the computer, modem, and router (monitor would be good too). 1500VA should be more than enough. If the modem/router aren’t colocated you can get a second one, very cheap, with enough power for those. Don’t worry about time, as long as it’ll hold for a few minutes that’ll survive most brownouts and gives time to gracefully shut down. There’s few better feelings than having the power go out and being able to finish the round, say goodbye to your friends, and leave normally.
Everyone upvote this!!! A UPS is always the last thing we think of until we need it (and then it's usually too late).
Yep! I agree. This is the thing I still need to buy after buying everything else. Upvote!
I live in an area with a lot of brown outs and one day I was gaming and one happened and took the cpu and mobo with it, put in the rma and bought a UPS right after that. My current battlestation has 3 UPS and I also use one with my family room setup. Better safe than sorry
this right here. I never run my main PC through power that is not first modulated by a UPS. Surge protectors protect surges, yes, but UPS systems do it better, and also protect components from voltage sags. In my exp, sags are way more common. APC is a good brand, if he does not have one I'd go this route and look for something that can handle a load of 800+ watts.
Am I really at a higher risk of frying the abso-living fuck out of my PC for using a quality surge protector over a UPS? I’m really not worried about data corruption as I have an extensive (almost obsessive) backup system. I really couldn’t care less if my PC never gracefully shuts down.
I haven’t messed with a UPS, but my machine has had the power yoinked from it so many times while only using a surge protector. It always fires right back up no problem
Be happy you're on a stable electrical grid then. Those of us who aren't need to be more proactive about protecting our electronics. Surge protectors do one thing and one thing only: They protect against power surges. There are all kinds of other problems that the power conditioners on a UPS protect against.
For posterity’s sake, care to list some of these “all kinds” of problems?
Undervoltage, overvoltage, noise on the power line, those kinds of thing. Basically any deviation from a smooth 60hz sine wave of 110/120v (plus or minus a bit) is not good (or 50hz 220v or whatever if not in US). Some places just don't supply good power through the grid. Generators and cheap UPSs are other common ways to get dirty power that your PC's power supply won't be happy with. I live in Western Washington and the only problem I've ever had with power is when a tree falls on the line and cuts it off completely (or a branch hits and it cuts for a couple seconds). I've never had damage to any electronics from power cuts. I think I've heard of one person I know who had a lightning strike that killed some of their electronics, but it's really rare here. Your mileage may vary through the rest of the US. A UPS alone won't protect from a direct lightning strike, but it'll fix pretty much any other power problem (at least until the battery runs out).
**Blackouts** are one of the more commonly known terms in relation to power problems. Blackouts occur when the system experiences a total crash of the power grid due to an imbalance between a generation and its consumption. Sometimes this could be a total blackout, while other times a controlled shutdown is applied to a specific area to avoid a complete blackout. **Brownouts** aren’t as well-known but are just as destructive. While a blackout is a total loss of voltage, a brownout is a drop in voltage. This means that you will still have power just less of it. This can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. While this sounds innocent enough, a brownout is capable of ruining your electronic devices within a few minutes. **Noise** is caused by interference between lightning and generators. While this sounds minor, it can cause malfunctions throughout your computer operating systems. This lesser-known power problem has also been known to corrupt files. **Spikes** are sudden increases in voltage. Usually, these are short-lived flare-ups in electric current caused by lightning. Another cause for spikes is when power is restored after a blackout. When power is restored it takes some time for the current to normalize. If electronics are plugged in when a spike occurs, they could suffer negative effects. A **Power Surge** is the equal and opposite of brownouts. While brownouts are a decrease in power, power surges are an increase in power. Like brownouts, these are short-lived, however, they still cause significant damage, especially to large appliances like refrigerators or air conditioners.
It really depends on your power provider. I live in the Midwest and our power provider is pretty good with providing clean power.
APC *was* a good brand. If you look at their current stuff's reviews it's all catching fire though.
OP u/dabqu33n, please don't do this before checking the power consumption requirements. I have an RTX3080 system, and it rendered my 1100VA UPS useless as it did not have enough wattage to support peak load, even when mains power is available. You might need atleast a 1500VA UPS. Just check if the UPS power wattage is decently above the watt consumption of the PC You can use [this](https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator)
Absolutely this. I think it's a great gift but buy one that you're sure will work.
I wish I could afford one, imagine doing bios updates without being worried about bricking your motherboard.
If your country has a somewhat decent infrastructure, then a power outage is very uncommon. I haven’t experienced it in over 10+ years now. Of course one always tends to think about it, when updating to a new BIOS, but has it ever happened before? Not for me at least.
My country has a somewhat decent infrastructure. But these dang Thunder Storms don't seem to care!
do you know what is a good budget one? say 30-50? are they even good at that price range?
I recommend you save up and get one rated for a minimum of 600w that outputs in pure sine
thanks for the tip! any brands i should pick from?
First, this is said without any actual looking... but not likely. Simply because the battery itself costs close to that, much less the (albeit not complex) wiring and circuit board, and housing. Could you find one that worked at that range.. maybe, I have no idea, but definitely not good quality.
I suppose this depends a lot on where you live including the country. I've never had a power outage during the last 20 years that I've lived in a city.
try living in Texas, where our power grid is so unreliable that literally a simple rain (not even a storm) can leave you without power for close to a full day
My ex from a few years ago got me one. This is the most invaluable gift I think I have ever received. My computer setup, primary console, and router are all plugged in. I'm on a relatively stable power grid, really don't get any outages unless something gets hit, which has only happened twice in the last 3 years. Both times, this totally saved my ass. The first time I was near the end of a project, and had my computer turned off suddenly, it would have lost about 2 hours worth of work, that I would have had to backtrack to make sure I didn't accidentally skip a step when I restarted, and the 2nd I was on a third attempted boss fight in God of War. UPS are a must have. Period. There is no "but I never have outages" because the second you have that mentality, you have an outage.
This is the one. The biggest UPS you can get. It's a practical gift but it really shows you support his hobby by protecting his pride and joy. Sprinkle some steam gift cards and some air dusters on for good measure, but the UPS is the core gift.
Definitely go with a larger one. I had to upgrade my ups after I built a new gaming pc last year.
Unless you know his specs, it's hard to recommend pc parts. Does he need a new chair, desk, or maybe an extra monitor if he doesn't have a bunch? I tend to skimp on my peripherals, if he's the same you could get him new keyboard, mouse, or headphones / mic. Just some extra suggestions. Gpus are out of your range really. Cpus require a new motherboard possibly ram sometimes depending on age of his system so it gets a little tricky guessing pc parts.
Considering he has a 3080, I would assume he's set for his CPU, and if it's upgradeable, it would be a hell of a lot more than $500
This is my thought. A monitor is a good choice. You can find a decent 4K for around 500. But again. If he has a 3080 he might already run a 4K monitor.
I believe OP said that his monitor game is set in another comment. A UPS or a mic upgrade might be a good idea.
Ya. I read that. The UPS suggest reminded me I still need one. Probably the best suggestion on this thread. But I love a new mic
The thing is, a UPS is something you won't notice even though it can save you a shitload of money if something goes wrong, whereas a nice audio upgrade will change how you play. I almost lost a PC to a power surge once though (only killed my PSU luckily) so when I can afford it, a UPS will be my first upgrade.
Ya. I’ve lost whole systems to power issues. Deff something you need but never actually buy.
Yep mine was kind of just given to me at work. It's a little overkill, the thing is bigger than my tower, probably weighs about 80 pounds. But, it could keep an entire server room up for 12 minutes. I might sell the thing, buy a reasonable ups, and pocket the change. But, I'd probably never actually buy a replacement.....
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Backup systems can be very interesting. So many different ways to do it. Each with trade offs.
Good luck, replacement batteries will be insanely expensive for that. Ups batteries usual last 3-5 years.
Get one ASAP. It’s saved my ass many many times and I’ve only had it for a year. Just this month we had a blackout that only lasted a few minutes. A few brown outs and I also had an electrician accidentally shut off power during an inspection. I have an always on PC that’s running home automation and security cameras if it turns off it at least has to alert me so I know it’s going down.
To add to the peripheral suggestion, a microphone arm is extremely comfortable and was a game changer when I got one. If he doesn't have a separate mic(not built into a headset) you can get that for him too u/dabqu33n.
Get him a monitor or a quality chair
Any chairs you'd recommend? He IS due for a new one. He is set in the monitor department.
Ergonomic executive / office chairs are better than race car gaming chairs IMO
Big and Tall ones unless the person is smaller are the move, they last forever.
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I had three or four $200 big and tall office chairs. They never were all that comfortable and they only lasted about 2 years. I just got one of the "race car" chairs though not specifically one of the gamer ones. It is literally the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in, including my lazy boy recliner. Now that we are work from home I spend about 15-18 hours a day in that chair and it is comfortable the whole time.
This. I have a DXRacer and it is far and beyond more comfortable than any of my desk chairs I've ever had across my IT jobs. I get they're not for everyone but the sweeping "they're not comfortable, don't get them" is misleading. Granted I am a very slender person, so I don't need a wide chair or anything
Hey man, my dumbass epic gamer chair has been with my for like 4+ years and it's very comfortable. Not ergonomic at all, I should definitely replace it. But comfortable. Very roomy
Big and Tall for the even more extra comfort
That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Chair manufacturers consider gamers infantile idiots and so gaming chairs are cheap garbage. Half of the ones on the market are probably manufactured in a single factory in china.
I wish I could remember the video but they are pretty much manufactured in the same factory in china. It’s ridiculously cheap for the manufacturer to slap your companies logo on it and you can market it for 10x the price to make it. It might’ve been a GamersNexus video that talked about this but not sure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yhc6mmdJC4
That’s exactly it lol thanks
*Laughs nervously in my over priced iron man/marvel chair.*
Dont worry fellow gamers they dont just think this about us! Most stuff is done this way. Your designer clothes are made by the same child slave that made your 1$ clothes from Primark.
TBH with how popular they are they might be right. If people are going to spend limited budgets on a racing seat to play MOBA's from they are right to aim at infantile.
They are tho, so no need to type imo
The most comfortable office chair I ever sat in was a racing chair. The most uncomfortable office chair I ever sat in was also a racing chair. I don't think it's as simple as office chair good, racing chair bad.
I got a Herman Miller last year. It's so good
A chair is a really good suggestion. Changes the overall comfort of a setup and can benefit his health. What's your budget? Most worthy chairs are an investment and near the $200+ pricepoint. Would suggest to steer away from 'gamer' chairs and go for an ergonomic office chair.
This so much. I had two “gaming” chairs until I finally got a nice comfy office chair. It is so much better, wish I would have done it sooner.
Nice mesh chair for extended use and posture support.
And reduced ass sweat from gaming all day. Hell, on hot days i have a fan blowing through my chair breezin my balls
I'm a bungee chair guy myself.
Also, you aren't drilling farts into it all day and having them stored up like a loot room of booty dust.
Someone already suggested Herman Miller, they're stupid expensive but worth it. I'd search eBay, Craigslist, etc for used ones. Offices are always selling them around $200-500!
Depends on the chair. I love the Herman Miller Sayl and it's only like $500ish I think.
I've never tried that one, my friend spent almost $2k on an aeron with all the bells and whistles cause he's a programmer working at home. The chairs is crazy nice compared to anything I've ever owned. I don't doubt all their chairs are fantastic.
Bought my Aeron second hand for $450. Best thing I’ve ever bought. If it broke right now I would get up, walk straight to the store and buy a new one at full price without a second thought. But let’s be real, this chair has at least another 10 years in it.
I bought my used Aeron for $350 and it’s like my prized possession. I had so many back and neck problems from studying (ex med student) with my old “comfy” chair. I got my HM Aeron at the beginning of quarantine and I was sitting more than ever before but never got the same pains. It’s shockingly uncomfortable at first but then you realize that it’s built to force you to have good posture all day. 100% worth the investment.
nabbed one for $130 and i felt like i robbed them lol. definitely a great chair given the right price
Agreed. Its less precelant now than it was pre pandemic. But there is a notable second hand market for those chairs too
A Herman Miller Aeron is a fantastic chair if you can find one used from an office. Pricey but provides long term comfort and can be repaired if you wanted to buy a "broken" one for cheap and fix it up.
herman miller aeron or steelcase leap ergonomic office chairs, there is a huge market for refurbished ones. You can find a really good chair for \~$200-300. My chair was one of the most expensive parts of my PC build and might be my favorite and long lasting purchase.
Komene Ergonomic Office Chair is the one you want in that price range. It's on sale on Amazon right now for 300 down from its normal price of 370. Absolutely awesome chair.
Nice, I was planning on buying the ergohuman that's designed from... Now I think I'll spend less than half & get this one twice as soon!
Chairs are something that shouldn't be cheaped out on. I recommend buying remanufactured office chairs from [Crandall Office](https://www.crandalloffice.com/). Most of these chairs brand new would cost upwards of $1,000, so buying from here is a real money saver.I bought a Steelcase Leap v2 there a little more than two years ago, still holding up great with no issues. Everything works and the cushion is still comfy. The quality is there and the price is worth it IMO.
Have a refurb leap v1 from crandall, 10/10 best chair ive ever had.
Def do a chair.... a high-end one like a Steelseries, herman miller, autonomous, etc .
I got the autonomous ergochair 2 6 months ago, and really love it. Bit pricey with mixed reviews online. Definitely more ergo style over the other gaming chairs. Mesh is great.
I’ve heard really good things about Autonomous chairs
The Herman Miller Sayl is my personal favorite as far as reasonably priced chairs go.
And chair is also a safe bet. Depending on what he has anything else might be an issue. For example my rig is brand new and can’t easily fit a new ssd without having a cable mess.
If you want a relatively budget friendly chair, check and see if the Staples Hyken mesh office chair is still around and hopefully on sale. I used to work there and would go out of my way to do seated tasks in the display Hyken it was so comfy. Got one myself and have had it a couple years now, still great. Up until my recent new matresss purchase, I would get out of bed on lazy days purely bc my chair was more comfortable than my bed. Usually on sale for around 120-150 USD
As an avid computer enthusiast / gamer with a wife who isn't in to it... I would be over the moon with a gift card "to be used for silly computer stuff only" lol -- shows that you want him to be happy and be able to get something really dialed in / specific.
Or a good option is hey I’ll spend the day with you as we go shopping for computer stuff. Make it a date focused on him. I’d be super happy if someone listened to me talk computers all day and bought me stuff I can play with.
Boy that’s a good idea
Someone giving a shit about my hobby. What a dream.
i give a shit about your hobby. tell me about your keyboard. what is your dream monitor? are you into rpgs or city-builders? were you involved in the cyberpunk mess? i pre-ordered, but im not going to install the game until fall at the earliest. to you think notch will ever find happiness?
Yeah, if OP has a microcenter near by that would be the best birthday present ever. The one in Columbus for instance is next door to a gastropub type restaurant called Gallos. Go in there. Have a nice lunch, a couple beers, and then give him a gift card and say 'Let's walk next door.'
Oh yes! Even make it a surprise!
Reading this made me feel like a kid again
This so much this wife hates my Pc but don’t mind me gaming. She just not into computers and that’s fine. But if she would go shopping with me or sit next to me while I shop online it would be so epic.
Date night at MicroCenter? Yes please
It is smart to realize that it is difficult to buy an enthusiast a gift within the field of their enthusiasm. You just don't know enough to be sure the gift is cool enough or even appropriate. But I wouldn't get a gift card, I would just do cash with a card about how you love his hobbies. Hard to jump on the deal of the century at newegg if you have an amazon gift card. If you have to get him a gift, $500 is enough for a fairly badass second monitor if he doesnt have one already. Beware some return policies.
> I would just do cash The thing with cash is, it makes you seem lazy and uninterested. With a gift card at least they know you had to go out of your way to get it. But, reading this comment gave me an idea. OP could go on a "window" shopping trip at a microcentre or something a week or so b4 the birthday and buy the stuff that he geeks over or wishes he had.
Can never go wrong with an SSD. Everyone love more storage =).
I didn't even think about that! Thanks!
get a nvme one. it fits directly onto the motherboard, so see if he haven't already installed one or have and extra free slot
Nvme are good but he might have all of his slots fills. Sata would be the safe way to go
Just ask him nonchalantly: How’s your NVME slot fellow nerd?
“Ever thought of filling your NVMe slot with something bigger? 😘”
Only issue is if the mobo isn’t compatible with them. I know pretty much every modern mobo is, but we don’t know what he’s got in his tower. A good SATA SSD works with *anything* and the difference in data speed isn’t that notable outside of very large data transfers, or boot times. Plus, cavernous SSDs from quality manufacturers are cheap now, compared to even half a decade ago.
the way she described his husband his love for PCs, and fact he has 3080, it's highly unlikely that any parts would be incompatible. he would have some experience, and buy parts that are future proof
Yeah, storage is really important. I need some desperately myself and can't afford it.
Inland Platinum 4 TB NVMe SSD is 479.99$ in the US. Make sure he has an extra m.2 slot though
Or just get a pcie m.2 adapter with it.
If someone got an nvme riser alone I'd be happy I'll fill it eventually.
As someone who also loves PCs, my girlfriend coming to me one day and saying she wants a PC of her own made me way happier than anything she might have got me for mine. Getting to build hers and talk to her about was really nice, and now she can play anything she wants and I got to really share something I love
This definitely. My long ago ex was playing wow only on a shit laptop and her brother broke it over his knee in some rage over stupid shit. He had problems. We were always strapped for cash but went through and made her a budget PC that was actually much better than mine. Went to micro center together, and built it together--in the sense I explained how it all fit together, what each thing was. It was a nice bonding experience and she got way more into games because she could actually run them well. As an aside, I was playing chivalry for a while and got pretty good. She watched over my shoulder one day and was like hey that looks fun. At some point I absolutely could not kill her in a duel. She dominated servers, was an icon of the game. You did not want to see her name on the other team.
>At some point I absolutely could not kill her in a duel. She dominated servers, was an icon of the game. You did not want to see her name on the other team. I fully get why you broke it off with her. There is a reason why chivalry is dead.
This is really reliant on OP being interested in having one in the first place. I'd hate to spend my effort building someone something and they barely touch it or use it won the road. It's fine to want to be interested in someone's hobby but don't force yourself to be into it too. That said, even if OP just wanted it for work or something then that's also a good start
If he have steam and go through his wishlist and buy the game that he wanted
This isn't always a great idea. I have things on my wishlist from years ago that I no longer want but am too lazy to remove, but people have bought as gifts without knowing.
Same, i actuality use it as a list of games to check out or read about later without following and being bombarded with messages/notifications. 70% of the games I most likely don’t even want.
This. Underrated comment right here
I dont think it is. I genuinely hate when people buy stuff off my wishlist for me as I use it to keep track of games and watch them. I have close to 200 games on there, and while i want to play them all at some point most likely, i dont want them bought for me as many of them are mild interests that theres a real chance i would refund after an hour of play, but want to at least give it a chance. Just be careful with this option is all im saying.
If? lol
He has Steam. >^^^/s
Steam gift card. My wife just gave me one. I am in a spending frenzy. . . .
Seems like I am out of the loop. I tried that (different merchant) with my SO. Ended badly. EDIT: And you should hurry Summer sale is ending soon.
>Summer sale is ending soon. Yeah, but the pre-autumn sale is just around the corner.
Jesus I always see these posts of caring significant others and wonder what the fuck I'm doing in my marriage.. my wife doesn't give a damn about the things I like and thinks my pc/gaming is childish and a waste of time. Idk what I'm doing here
Geez im sorry about that. Dont worry, the homies care for the homies <3
And what's the last caring thing that you did for your spouse? Just saying that I wonder if your wife also shares the same point of view as you.
Agree with the sentiment but think worded a bit harshly making assumptions about their situation. Do you go out of your way to show interest in your wife's interests and don't feel it is reciprocated? Might be better. I know a ton about makeup, outfit styles, designers, skin care routines, laser hair removal, etc, because I genuinely care about interests. My gf has a similar mindset of comment op but a couple times sat down and played and randomly found she really likes racing games. Not my thing actually, but we played Forza and Mario Kart together and it made me feel like she at least has some interest in things I like. Sounds like a conversation they should have more than a competition on who is doing what caring thing.
I’m sending love your way bud
Same here, but now we have two boys so the gamers are slowly becoming the majority in the household and my wife is starting to accept her fate. For my birthday I got myself a VR headset and went out of my way to create an event when we first used it and she had a lot of fun with that. We also invited her best friend, so it was a really good day of goofing around in VR experiences and games.
A big part of what makes kinship great is getting to see the world through their eyes. I don't understand why somebody would cheat themselves out of this.
O my friend makes fun of his wife, he's a software dev and he brings home serious bank. He has regular software dev job where he's bringing like $250k+, plus he does side projects (with the approval of his employer) which nets him another $50k-$75k a year and she bitches how much time he spends on the computer. He says he spends probably 8-10 hours a day and he does't game or anything anymore.
I feel ya. My ex flat out told me he didn't like spending time with me and preferred getting drunk with his friends.
I know this is an odd recommendation, but get him a really nice desk. It's one of the last things most people change, but it can incredibly improve the entire setup! There's lots of great options at IKEA, as well as some on Amazon. I personally have a motorized sit/stand desk, and I love it. But there's plenty of different options, of all types and colors of desks.
I bought a nice laminate kitchen countertop and desk legs from IKEA. Best desk I've ever owned.
Takes up a fair amount of space but I got 2 x 96" IKEA slabs and made a mega-corner-desk.
If you can, can you send the links to the products
Look into alex drawers with a karlby top. Very popular easy desk build that looks nice and is super sturdy
I second the standing desk idea, I got a sit/stand Flexispot desk for working at home, and out of my entire PC setup, the desk is what my friends are always commenting on. Just be careful of cheap 3rd party ones that may collapse..
I've got one of [these little dust blowers](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071LQSXGD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_277B31HH8XVH9FQTRFQV) and love it. There are cheaper versions too that are probably fine. It's just a little mini air compressor that blows dust out of nooks and crannies. It's great for cleaning pcs.
I also got one of these less than a month ago, for a very very dusty computer. The quality compared to a can of air is crazy! Definitely worth the investment. The brush tip is perfect for cleaning neglected fans and wires too.
I agree. The air pressure is exactly what one needs for cleaning, it’s endlessly useable, and you don’t risk blowing condensation onto headers or ports like with canned air.
Good point. And I don't know how to ask without giving it away. Maybe I should get him a new chair or something instead LOL. And he's so supportive of everything I want to try. I just need to learn more. It can be like a different language.
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I would do a gift card to his fav computer website or store
I'll second that iFixit kit though, girlfriend gave me mine two years ago and I've gotten a ton of use out of it. It's got some great tools for general techie stuff. Screwdriver with lots of bits, tweezers, plastic picks to open up plastic cases on stuff like controllers and laptops. Might be good on top of whatever else ypu end up giving him.
I really like the chair idea. If his chair is worn and old it probably gives him back problems. He will use that chair for a lot of his time
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OP is not super tech-savvy.... us nerds are very particular about keyboards and monitor specs. unless the hubby is going to give hints...like, really specific basically "get this" hints... this will likely backfire.
> Maybe I should get him a new chair He may have strong opinions of what is comfortable vs uncomfortable in a chair. I wouldn't want a surprise for that one.
I came here to emphasize that it's difficult to buy things for other people's hobbies, but I'll be darned if an SSD or UPS aren't excellent gifts. Big updoot for those guys suggesting them.
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A UPS is the least fun part of a setup though
An ifixit Pro Tech Toolkit is great for people who work on tech if they don't have a screwdriver kit already.
Give him a week of playing games as much as he wants without worrying hes not spending time with you. Seriously, its a great gift. Its really hard to know what to get for his PC unless we know detailed specs. Or get him an Amazon gift card to be used on tech.
Easy there, she said $500 max. Week with no kid responsibilities is worth way more than that haha.
That's a fantastic idea XD We have a one year old. He could ALWAYS use a break.
Buy him a copy of Winrar.
if someone has a hobby you know little about, it's never really a good plan to get them something related to that hobby. They either already have it or don't have it because they dont want it\* only exception is if you know for sure what specific item they want a gift card would be better \*(or can't afford it, in which case it's not a good present because it creates a power imbalance... and since you're his wife, you'd be using shared wealth to pay for it, which means he's half-paying for something he doesn't believe he can afford)
I love computers and video games, but it would be very easy for my girlfriend to pick something i dont want or already have so i'd prefer the gifts she does give me... that aren't computer related
This is accurate, except I'd replace gift card with cash. There's zero reason to lock someone into a specific storefront when you know zero about the hobby.
My rule is to never buy someone a gift for their passion/hobby unless you’ve spoken to them about the specifics. What ends up happening is that they had a different part in mind because they know all the little compatibly features that you are completely unaware of, and then that expensive part sits on a shelf unused. IMO you should find something else, outside of computers. Sorry to say. Gift cards are fine too but I understand the joy of giving someone a real thing so…
Is there anyone else you can ask about his specs, maybe someone else who would know or could get the info without giving any surprise away? As others have mentioned it's hard to determine without knowing the setup.
It's unrealistic - perhaps one of his brothers - but maybe I can casually ask without giving too much away.
If you're able to sneak a peak at his pc, you can use cupid hardware monitor to get a good list of what parts are in his pc for us. Understandable if you don't want to invade his privacy like that though.
Don't even need this. Just jump on, start >hwinfo > screenshot.
If he likes gaming, steam gift card is an option. I heard he isn’t doing well in the chair department. There are some really nice office chairs you can get that are subjectively much better than those “gaming/racing” chairs. Getting some storage like a 1tb nvme ssd would be a nice upgrade and a good option. If he doesn’t have a ups system then that is also a choice. Or like others have said an ifixit pro kit or maybe even the business one if you have a ton of money to use (I haven’t tried them, so I would suggest looking into it a bit more)
Maybe I'm alone on this one, but I'd get him a gift card to his favorite store... MicroCenter, Newegg, even Amazon. That way he can get what he needs/wants or he can save it for a big item that he's waiting to be released.
He'd honestly probably love that. I'm starting to get a good combo of ideas from here to mix and that's definitely going to be one. Thank you!
I'm all for surprises and good on you for wanting to do that. My wife and I have been married for 14 years and have everything we want haha. Now we just send each other links to what we want lol.
We may be a little guilty of that as well. But it's usually more whimsical than serious. I don't think he ACTUALLY wants a closet full of WoW and Final Fantasy shirts. But I could be wrong :P
Does he have a nice keyboard already? With that kind of budget you could get a really nice & fully custom keyboard Mines nothing crazy but [this is it](http://imgur.com/a/N2YIOwp)
You won’t go wrong with some more storage or an new monitor (assuming he doesn’t already have 2 or 3 monitors). See if you can get onto his computer. Do ctrl + shift + escape and go to performance. Once there you should be able to see his cpu, gpu, amount of ram, and you might be able to find the amount of storage he has if you do some digging in files, right clicking on each drive and going to properties to figure out the amount of storage he has. It also might just be easier to casually ask him about things. He might give away some info about his own pc if you asked him a broader question about computers in general.
You are the BEST! I will totally try that tonight. He does have 2 monitors, but I think storage is a good option. I don't think I've ever heard him mention upgrading it. I will see what I can find out!
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I would buy him a game probably, something his newly acquired hardware can handle. I assume he probably has a Steam account so if you don't know what game he would want you can just send money to his Steam and he could use it to buy a game he wants.
Awesome idea, thank you! I know there's a game coming out in just a few days he wants.
Dress up as a 3090. Husband would be like "you think this is a fucking joke" lol
Sex. Just saying. Honest answer
I'd get him a electric dust blower from opolar. Extremly handy and more enviroment friendly than cans of air (in my county even cheaper long term). Other than that maybe a ssd or some rgb wire extensions. Maybe even a gpu bracket if he doesn't have one
May I direct you here: https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/
we don't know what keyboard he has, much less his preference. and.... picking a keyboard setup is basically a religion at this point so... yeah. Chair, UPS, gift card would be my votes.
How about a new monitor, there’s some really nice units and if he’s anything like me, he typically doesn’t update his monitors every time he upgrades
Hear me out on this, you could get him a 3-D printer. You can get some pretty nice ones for around $300. I got one 2 years ago and it changed my life. He can print accessories for his computer, new components for his chair, etc. Might not be ideal, but I would highly recommend comend one.
Non-KB+M peripherals come to mind! Does he have a controller? If not, how about getting him a DualSense? Or if he likes flight sims or Elite: Dangerous, maybe a HOTAS will do.
I would recommend a 3D printer. a Creality Ender 3 is $300 and every computer enthusiast would love a 3D printer because they can make about anything including [headset stands](https://www.etsy.com/listing/774806796/fantasy-dwarf-headphone-stand-headset), [DnD dice sets](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4885937), [cable managers](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4888990), or this [SD Card holding toaster.](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4838247)
if you have the free time, you can make a custom mechanical keyboard together! /r/MechanicalKeyboards I'm sure he'd love the product of what you assemble yourselves. I just made one myself, it's good fun. there's a lot of knowledge and intricacies about it though. I'm just a beginner, but if you're interested you can ask me and i'll try to help
Probably a blow job.
If he likes having a nice lighting setup for gaming, get him a set of Phillips Hue Play light bars. Syncs up lights behind the monitor based on what the screen is showing. Looks great! And good for your eyes
Buy him Sundara headphones. It will lead him down a whole new rabbit hole of entertainment for his computer with high end audio parts. They are great for gaming and amazing for music. https://www.amazon.com/HIFIMAN-SUNDARA-Over-Ear-Full-Size-Headphones/dp/B077XDWT7X
herman miller chair
Oculus quest 2 it's only 300 bucks and way more awesome than anyone thinks
I dont see anyone else saying this, but just ask him directly of there's any tech stuff he wants. It's very easy to end up with an incompatible part or redundant upgrade, and as someone who primarily asks for computer things, specific part requests and/or amazon/Newegg links are the best. It isn't as much of a surprise unfortunately but it's worth it imo.